THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lt.Col.(Hon) Mohanlal appears to be doing his bit for the Indian Army.
Inspired by the veteran actor’s recent induction into the Territorial Army (TA ), enthusiastic aspirants have been calling up the defence establishment here for details about TA recruitments.
Over the past few days, the Army Recruitment Office and the Public Relations Officer (Defence) here have received over a dozen calls regarding TA .
And it’s not just Army-crazy youngsters who want to know what the Territorial Army is all about, Army officials say.
Professionals too have been showing a keen interest.
“It was a surprise,” says Colonel M.S.Bisht, Director (Recruiting), ARO, Thiruvananthapuram, who attended about a dozen calls. “The callers included college lecturers, government officials and a few students. Recruitment to the Territorial Army doesn’t come under me, so I asked them to look up the Territorial Army website, and if that didn’t help, then contact me again,” he said.
Similar queries also came in search of the Public Relations Officer (Defence) Prakash Magdum, but these were mostly from youngsters. “They had some idea about what the Territorial Army was. But they wanted to know more about it and the prospects it offered,” Magdum said.
That the queries concerned the less visible TA has come as a big surprise to defence officials.
The second line of defence, TA is a voluntary service made up of civilian professionals who train for a fixed period every year.
TA is part of the regular army, but it is not a profession or an employment source. Formed in 1920 on the lines of the British Territorial Army, the Indian version has provided commendable service to the Indian Armed Forces over the years.
“Its present role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened and to provide units for Regular Army as and when required,” reads the Indian Army website. TA presently has a strength of approximately 40,000.
For joining TA , aspirants should watch out for regular advertisements in newspapers and other media, the PRO (Defence), said.
During my railway service in Central Railway, I served in Territorial Army from 1969 to 1992. I retired as Subedar. My army no. was TJ2255. At the time of retirement I did not get discharge certificate. I also did not demand. But now I want my discharge certificate. My unit was 970 Railway Engineers Group based at Jhansi. Now this unit does not exist. I need your guidance, how can I get my discharge certificate now.
Thanks.
Ravinder Madan
Sir..is there any option to work full time in territorial army.?